The Sword and Laser discussion
What Else Are You Reading?
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What Else Are You Reading? - May 2012
I'm reading George Alec Effinger's Marid Audran books. I just finished the first book, planning to read the next two.
Finished Beyond Boundaries: The New Neuroscience of Connecting Brains with Machines and How It Will Change Our Lives. An excellent read that is going on my favorites shelf. I highly recommend this for a layman who would like to know more about advances in technology, including medical technology. This is a wonderful account of Brain Machine Interface research. I found a short scholarly essay from the writer on the research. The scholarly essay would be hard for a layman to follow, but the book is not. This made me appreciate the insight and sensitivity of the scientist in communicating with the general public in a way that is easy to understand yet not dumbing down the ideas. The possibilities of combining the brain with robot is astounding. It can range from what we're familiar with now, the middle ear implants that allow people to hear again, to one day being able to explore distant hostile planets in a robotic body from the comfort of your livingroom, seeing and sensing the foreign environment from the robotic body.
I'm still working on the paper book (snail read), Mind Children: The Future of Robot and Human Intelligence, which I would not recommend for the layman who is not used to reading technical manuals. It's not full of formulas and technical gibberish, but enough for people who cringe at anything that sounds technical or contains math to put down the book.
I'm starting Tigana. The prose is flowing and beautiful.
BTW, I'm pairing eBook with audio again for Tigana. I'm enjoying Simon Vance and the book's prose.
Took a break from Mysteries Of The Diogenes Club (which is hugely enjoyable) to pick up instead Lord of the Flies which strangely I had never read before despite its classic status. Loving the prose and slow-build as the kids go feral!
FYI, in Mind Children: The Future of Robot and Human Intelligence, the diagram of Comparative Computational Power and Memory show the elephant above the human in both computational power and memory.
I finished Hyperion last night and promptly started Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book. Picked it up a couple of weeks ago from the county library's book sale.A couple of days ago I started reading A Princess of Mars when I have a little downtime at work. I'm very much enjoying it so far, though I'm only a couple of chapters into it.
Clifford wrote: "Took a break from Mysteries Of The Diogenes Club (which is hugely enjoyable) to pick up instead Lord of the Flies which strangely I had never read before despite its classic status. Loving the pros...""Kill the beast, bash him in, spill his blood!"
I managed to get some paper book reading time this morning before my daughter wakes, which takes me halfway through Mind Children: The Future of Robot and Human Intelligence. I'm getting into the good part after reading pages of the development of the computer, which can be boring if you're not interested in that, or if you're not techy minded. He also went through developments that help in developing robotic senses.Some terrific stuff:
Magic glasses - goggles or helmet that supersize your visual senses. This allows you to connect to computer information, which includes navigation, any information provided by the satellite location system, and technical information for work.
Magic gloves and coat. He did not give too much information regarding them, but I'm assuming it's to help connect to the robotic body's senses. Of course, with the development of BMI those tools are not needed if BMI research makes a huge headway with robotics. It can all be done directly via the brain, I would think.
As luck would have it, right when I'm getting into the interesting chapter about robot bushes, a super sensory robot capable of minute motor coordination exponentially better than a surgeon's, and the possibilities of mind transference, my daughter wakes up. I have to put aside my post-its covered book (lots of good stuff in here that I want to note) that is marred by a drop of water (boo-hoo!) to go make breakfast.
Time to put on my Tigana audio, which I am enjoying. Simon Vance is doing a wonderful job narrating. I love the writing and the interesting characters. The writing is flowing and beautiful. I think fantasy writers have tough competition with an abundance of poetic fantasy writers who can convincingly evoke fine Shakespearean speech. Stephen King bypassed all that by going for the American western style Dark Tower series.
My reading has really been stymied over the last two weeks, mostly due to work. Have I mentioned that I absolutely cannot WAIT until mid-August when this project is DONE? :)Since I've decided not to read Tigana (who knows, I may change my mind later), I've decided to get some shorter books out of my queue.
After trying to listen to The Fall of Hyperion, I've decided it will work better for me in "print" so grabbed the Kindle edition. Unfortunately now I'm finding I really don't like reading on the Fire or iPad so I may go to Best Buy today and get a new e-ink Kindle. To fill the audiobook gap, I decided to start Throne of the Crescent Moon. I never would have heard of Saladin Ahmed without S&L so even though I'm not reading the pick this month, I am reading one inspired by this group. ;)
June and July are going to be pretty hectic for me, as well (including likely trips to French Guiana and London), but I'm hoping to get some of the other shorter things in my backlog including A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, The Island of Dr. Moreau, God, No!: Signs You May Already Be an Atheist and Other Magical Tales, Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook, The Minotaur Takes a Cigarette Break, One Dog Night, Slaughterhouse-Five, The Apprentice: My Life in the Kitchen, The Eyes of the Dragon, and Farseed. I undoubtedly won't get through them all but those are the ones in my audio backlog that are relatively short.
Going to be an interesting few months...
Currently I'm reading two books and listening to another. In paper form I'm on Endymion by Dan Simmons. On my kindle, because I refuse to pay e-book prices, I read free stuff and am reading The Time Machine by HG Wells. I'm listening to The Reversal by Michael Connelly.
Catching Fire by Suzanne CollinsHeat Rises by Richard Castle
Just finished The Necromancer by Jonathan L. Howard. Absolutely fantastic, Continuing onto The DetectiveAlso completed Slaughterhouse-Five by the Kurt Vonnegut :-0
Also I'm reading The Restaurant at the End of the Universe WHY HAVE I NEGLECTED THIS SERIES UNTIL NOW!!!
Ive read the first book in Theft of Swords and it was really good. I can't wait to dig into book two. I'm also reading Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter it I've only read the intro so far. On audio I'm listening to Ender's Shadow. I just love the Ender Universe and I plan on reading them all.
Aloha wrote: "BTW, I'm pairing eBook with audio again for Tigana. I'm enjoying Simon Vance and the book's prose."Aloha, Aloha. Curious: do you read along while listening? Or listen while driving, at the gym, etc., and read when more sedentary? Agreed on the excellence of Simon Vance, BTW.
Noomninam, it's a way for me to stay in touch with the book no matter what I do. If I'm not reading, then I'm listening to the book, whether it's text to speech or audio. Most of the time, I'm listening, since I have little mental and physical sedentary time except when I'm sleeping. The eBook allows me to see the format of the texts, and look up things that are unclear from the audio listening. The audiobook is great in forcing me to move forward with the book. I have a tendency to mull over text books, look up definitions, do research on stuff, make notes, etc. Before I know it, I know all about the book, the author, the history, etc. LOL.I agree, Simon Vance gets better and better as you get into the story. He is a seasoned narrator. I've enjoyed him narrating other audiobooks. His voice is perfect for Tigana, which is flowing and poetic. Beautifully written.
I'm reading "Worldsoul" by Liz Williams. I'm only five percent in so I'm just meeting a very interesting cast. I was hoping for another installment of her Inspector Chen series. So I am also re-reading her "The Iron Khan".
Elizabeth wrote: "I'm reading "Worldsoul" by Liz Williams. I'm only five percent in so I'm just meeting a very interesting cast. I was hoping for another installment of her Inspector Chen series. So I am also re-rea..."She's starting to sell stories (including Chen-related stories) directly from her website.
http://mevennen.livejournal.com/88464... for example.
I am reading Oryx and Crake. It's an amazing book so far. I've read The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood, another book I loved reading. I have also just started reading Blindness by José Saramago ("Ensaio sobre a Cegueira" in the portuguese title) which I had meant to start earlier in life but never got to it. ^^
The Vampire Lestat is the third one, because lately I feel like reading about vampires (in the old way they would be written anyway) and it's a book that I felt on hold for too long aswell.
:)
I read both of Gemma Files' short story collections, Kissing Carrion and The Worm in Every Heart, which contained some amazing dark fantasy and horror stories, I'm not easily scared or disturbed so it's nice to find some stuff that can really give me the creeps.More recently I've rescued The Yiddish Policemen's Union from the abandoned books pile and am enjoying it a lot more than I did when I first started reading it back in 2010.
I like Margaret Atwood's books, although she stirs huge debate from SciFi fans who claim she looks down on the genre. I do get tired of her portraying women as the downtrodden. I know she's a member of Amnesty International and have seen and is seeing atrocities committed to women around the world. All I have to do is look in the news and I see that. However, I also like to uphold that women are powerful and can be anything they want. The Handmaid's Tale irritates me in the idea that in a country in which women are used to being free, that all of a sudden they can become nothing more than child bearers. I think once generations have been raised to be independent, that they will take steps to prevent that from happening in their country. I can see oppression in countries that have a long history of oppression against women, and the women do not know or have the opportunity to oppose horrible treatment, but for women to allow a country to go back to such a primitive state after experiencing power, I highly doubt it. I find it contemptuous of women's ability to take charge of their destiny.I enjoyed Oryx and Crake. I thought The Blind Assassin was overly verbose in flowery words until a friend pointed out that it is from the point of view of a novelist who has a tendency to use flowery words. Her story within a story would have impressed me before I started reading book by authors using clever devices such as point of views, story within a story, etc. Now, what impresses me is not only the attempt to do something unique, but how it integrates and is significant to the story.
I read Rice's Interview With the Vampire, but I quickly grew tired of her style of writing.
Bárbara wrote: "I am reading Oryx and Crake. It's an amazing book so far. I've read The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood, another book I loved reading.
I have also just started reading Blindness by José Saramag..."
Almost done with Mind Children: The Future of Robot and Human Intelligence. I finished the chapter on viruses with an interesting ending on cooperative strategy, noting The Evolution of Cooperation: Revised Edition. Another book that is only available on paper. Gawd! Really interesting ideas on various types of computer viral attacks, which details varying ways of attack, the relationship between virus and host, which naturally leads to the idea of cooperative strategy, whether you choose to cooperate for the good of all or self-gain, all depending on how beneficial it is to the self in the long run and within what context. This is going on my favorites shelf. This book with Beyond Boundaries: The New Neuroscience of Connecting Brains with Machines and How It Will Change Our Lives fires my neurons with possibilities!Still enjoying Tigana.
Aloha wrote: "I like Margaret Atwood's books, although she stirs huge debate from SciFi fans who claim she looks down on the genre. I do get tired of her portraying women as the downtrodden. I know she's a mem..."Agreed. The Handmaid's Tale has too much complacency for me to consider it speculative fiction. Offred, I believe, is the perfect narrator and Atwood creates her in a way that enables her to pass her fiction as speculative. After Offred's failed attempt at escape, she becomes the portrait of a downthrodden woman, as you put it, outwardly accepting everything put in front of her.
That's why Offred's mother and her friend Moira are my favourite characters since they embody the resistance/rejection of Gilead. I truly hated that by the end, Moira seemed so crushed, but I guess it went to show the oppression of the totalitarian state.
However, ignoring all that ^^, I simply admire how she reverses the rights women have fought for in the two decades previous to writting this book within that totalitarist state and explores the roles women would be left with - if any besides childbearing.
The concerns of the religous groups within the plot, were concerns with the religious/polical groups in the 1970s (with the introduction of birth control measures, legalization of abortion, etc) but for the reader today, I feel that it is dated.
Well, concerning Oryx and Crake, I spent the third chapter reading about how Crake and Jimmy spent a lot of time smoking weed and watching pornography online. It got old soon. I hope it was just a way of introducing Oryx in the past and won't be written so easily into the story as a way to shock the reader.
I feel the same way you do about Rice. A while ago, I read Interview With the Vampire with the intention of reading the full Vampire Chronicles. I picked up The Vampire Lestat after that, but just had to put it on hold. I couldn't read more of her without a break. Now I've picked it up again and I will probably finish reading it this time. If I'll pick another one of the chronicles is a question to be answered. ^^
Seeing how women are still treated in the news in other parts of the world makes me think it is not so dated. My main objection is once women have experienced the advantages and opportunities of freedom, and have developed the intellect, interests and independence, how can 50% of the population allow themselves to be oppressed to a state of being no more than as child bearer and let men make all the decisions.Regarding Oryx and Crake, I think she's trying to portray the dissolution of society that is a set up for the decision that Crake was to make, and to present the Oryx character in a compelling light. I wrote a review on it if you're interested in reading about it. But I wouldn't read it until you're done with the book and have your own take on it.
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Regarding Atwood and the SF genre, I don't think she hates the genre as much as being pegged, which is creatively limiting to an author. She wrote an interesting book which I enjoyed on the genre,
In Other Worlds: SF and the Human Imagination.
The thing I like least about Rice's writing is her pounding a point, which can get tiring. She also rambles a bit.
Bárbara wrote: "Aloha wrote: "I like Margaret Atwood's books, although she stirs huge debate from SciFi fans who claim she looks down on the genre. I do get tired of her portraying women as the downtrodden. I kn..."
Aloha wrote: "Seeing how women are still treated in the news in other parts of the world makes me think it is not so dated. My main objection is once women have experienced the advantages and opportunities of f..."I'm sorry, I didn't explain myself correctly. I don't mean it's dated in relation to general violence towards women but dated in the public fear that contraception will bring about a decrease in birthrate.
It was a specific kind of violence I was thinking of, one that means taking the control away from women when it comes to their reproduction. I take this book as a response to the concerns of the 60s/70s but Gilead would have to happen before those decades - if it would even be possible then.
That's why I believe the book is dated, because it is the transformation of a state but written to those who lived through the feminist victories of the 1970s.
Some people may not believe in contraception (or abortion), some may be prohibited from using it, but somewhere it is legal to use and distribute information about birth control. These "reproductive rights" were not discussed in the modern world until late in the nineteeth-century and only until the feminist movements wish for emancipation.
Today, birth control is a given and I also think it can not be taken away from women so peacefully as it is described in the book.
I am very curious about Crake. There has been some hints about how his actions (and maybe Jimmy's) created Snowman's world. I'll see, - and I'll be sure to read your review. :)
I'll add In Other Worlds: SF and the Human Imagination to the TBR list, too.
I just finished walter jon williams The Fourth Wall, which i enjoyed, in some ways its a bit like ender's shadow, in that is told from the perspective of a character around dagmar shaw and her crew. Id recommend reading it soon after deep state
Currently reading 'Into the Garden' by V.C Andrews, but I suspect it is her ghost writer. Its a very light read, thats for sure and I'll probably have it done by tonight...Then its a pick between S/L books that I've bought lately.Hmm...
Hyperion, Nocturnal or the Throne of the Crescent Moon?
The contraception debate in the book is not so dated as you think. Religious institutions in the U.S. may have been declawed due to the separation of church and state, but they still do whatever they can to impose their beliefs. In this case , though, I think the religious organizations are within their right to not have to provide coverage of contraceptives. On the other hand, how far can that go? Can an institution under a religion that won't allow going to see a doctor but only prayers, can file for not providing health care for their employees because it is against their belief?http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/0...
I don't want to ruin Oryx and Crake for you, but the main characters are interesting in what they represent.
I enjoyed her SF analysis and historical references in In Other Worlds: SF and the Human Imagination. It helped me to track down more SF books that I need to read.
Bárbara wrote: "Aloha wrote: "Seeing how women are still treated in the news in other parts of the world makes me think it is not so dated. My main objection is once women have experienced the advantages and oppo..."
I enjoyed Flowers in the Attic, but the books following the series seemed to be in the same order of kids being abused, some sort of a weird twist, etc. Same structure, different characters.Olivia wrote: "Currently reading 'Into the Garden' by V.C Andrews, but I suspect it is her ghost writer. Its a very light read, thats for sure and I'll probably have it done by tonight...Then its a pick between S..."
I finished The Sword & Sorcery Anthology, which I'd highly recommend if you like that sort of thing (although if you like that sort of thing, you've probably already encountered a not-insignificant percentage of the contents) and started Throne of the Crescent Moon by Saladin Ahmed.
Jenny wrote: "Ive read the first book in Theft of Swords and it was really good. I can't wait to dig into book two."Hey Jenny,
I'm glad you liked the book - I hope you enjoy the others as well. I wrote all six before releasing any of them and designed each to be better than the one before. I'll see if you found that to be true or not.
I finished Zoo City which had an interesting take on the animal-companions trope, and a nice setting in South Africa; but the main character, while not quite an antihero, was someone I just didn't like. Surprising book, I'd keep an eye on Ms Buekes.I also was reading some short in Dark and Stormy Knights until I realized that I disliked the genre (first person urban contemporary) after the fifth story and told myself to walk away. I'm sure I've got something else in my pile I might actually enjoy.
Ive got 50 pages left in Arctic Rising, pretty straightforward techno-action thriller...not that great
I'm a little over half way through The Stars My Destination which I'm enjoying much more than I thought I would. And slowly but surely plodding through A Clash of Kings. It is a really good book but very involved and sometimes I don't have it in me to concentrate that much.
Well, The Yiddish Policemen's Union was bloody brilliant, and I'm shocked with myself for taking 2 years to get around to finishing it. In the spirit of rescuing books from my 'abandoned' piles (and because I'm skint) I'm giving Extremities, Kathe Koja's short story collect another go.
Finished up listening to The Reversal by Michael Connelly tonight at work. Started Taken by Robert Crais. On a good night at work I can get 5 hrs or so of listening in and I prefer books that are fairly straightforward and engaging to help pass the time. I'm not putting either book down as they are enjoyable for what they are: page turners. I'm just saying I can't listen to something really complex at work.
Felina wrote: "I'm a little over half way through The Stars My Destination which I'm enjoying much more than I thought I would. And slowly but surely plodding through A Clash of Kings. It is a really good book bu..."Too many characters, too many places, too many plots. :P
It gets much better once you reach A Storm of Swords, and it has one of my favourite scenes I have ever read in fantasy fiction.
I loved reading it and I'm rereading all five books at the moment though very slowly so they can be extended through the 3 years it will take for George R. R. Martin to write the sixth book. :p
Ripping into another Honor Harrington book, The Short Victorious War. We'll see how many crewmembers' deaths there are this time. That series loves to kill people off in the hundreds during its space battles.
Bárbara wrote: I loved reading it and I'm rereading all five books at the moment though very slowly so they can be extended through the 3 years it will take for George R. R. Martin to write the sixth book. :p Three years? Optimistic much? LOL Considering he claimed the fifth book was finished at the time he published the 4th book and it still took 6-7 years I'm not optimistic there will ever actually be a 6th or 7th book. Its why I've yet to read the 5th book, despite loving the series.
I was going to say that too, Rik. I think 3 years is very optimistic. I'm really enjoying Clash but it plods a little in places. I have enjoyed reading it along with season 2 of Game of Thrones.
Rik wrote: "Bárbara wrote: I loved reading it and I'm rereading all five books at the moment though very slowly so they can be extended through the 3 years it will take for George R. R. Martin to write the six..."Well, he has a TV show catching up on him. He better hurry then, lol.
The A Feast for Crows and A Dance With Dragons, had a lot of rewritting, if I am not mistaken. Why it took him so long to finish A Dance With Dragons I have no idea, but I think he is allowed a little writer's block now and then, even if it lasts 6 years.
I am just hoping they won't set the example to the forthcoming books.
Felina wrote: "I was going to say that too, Rik. I think 3 years is very optimistic.
I'm really enjoying Clash but it plods a little in places. I have enjoyed reading it along with season 2 of Game of Thrones."
Same here, and I only realized how much A Clash of Kings moves slowly after watching the TV show. After first reading A Game of Thrones I was too hyped to notice that.
Honestly, I just can't wait for the next season. :p
I finished reading The Fall of Hyperion tonight. It took me about a week to read it...I really enjoyed it. It was a book I was thinking about, looking forward to reading, while at work.I'm still listening to Throne of the Crescent Moon...I haven't had a lot of time to listen lately. I need to make time to listen to books again.
I've got Endymion in DTE and Kindle form, though I'm not sure if I'm ready to jump right into it. I'm going to sleep on that decision. :)
Bárbara wrote: "Rik wrote: "Bárbara wrote: I loved reading it and I'm rereading all five books at the moment though very slowly so they can be extended through the 3 years it will take for George R. R. Martin to w..."I'm lucky in that I read the first ASoIF pretty late in the game so I haven't had to wait for the books. And I plan on reading the books along with the TV show from now on cause I think it's fun. So if he has to keep up with the series hopefully I'll never be hung out to dry. :)
Finished Tigana. I enjoyed it although I prefer more strategy and intrigue in power plays. But that's not his point, since the author said it's about memory. Can't decide whether to start I, Robot or The Singularity is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology. I'll try both to see what I stuck with at the end of the day. I'm going for I, Robot first.
Almost done with the paper book Mind Children: The Future of Robot and Human Intelligence. I've settled on the fact that the only time that I have enough energy to focus on a paper book is early in the morning on weekends.
I finished Mind Children: The Future of Robot and Human Intelligence during a spaghetti lunch and got a tomato sauce stain on the book. Terrific. I even read the Appendices. If math and Physics don't make you break out in hives, I recommend this book. I'll be tackling his more current book published in 1999 soon. The cyber technology has made huge leaps since 1989. Taking a eyeballing break with eyeballing Godel, Escher, Bach for the Science & Inquiry group read.
Listening to more cyber speculation with The Singularity is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology.
The Singularity is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology is easy to understand for anybody who wants to learn the possibilities of machine enhanced intelligence and other AI topics. An audio is also available at Audible. Godel, Escher, Bach....well, it looks like it will be a challenge. But a rewarding challenge. The type of stuff I like to tackle. Time to get some aspirin to read this. I have a feeling I'll have to turn my mind inside out and upside down to understand this book.
Oh, this is great that I'm pairing these two books. The Singularity is mostly about artificial intelligence. Godel, Escher, Bach is mainly about cognition and thinking, presented in a compelling...very, very compelling way. Eventually, from this process, one of the conclusion the book will come to is whether artificial intelligence is possible.
Hmm when I saw GEB, I thought you were reading Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid. But it looks like there's another one. I liked Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid...I should go revisit that if not entirely re-read it.
I might call you for help, Terpkristin.
The Sword and Laser
Books mentioned in this topic
Midnight in Peking: How the Murder of a Young Englishwoman Haunted the Last Days of Old China (other topics)Redshirts (other topics)
At the Gates of Darkness (other topics)
Murder in LaMut (other topics)
The Honest Truth About Dishonesty: How We Lie to Everyone - Especially Ourselves (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Michael Connelly (other topics)Robert Crais (other topics)
Saladin Ahmed (other topics)
Margaret Atwood (other topics)
Gemma Files (other topics)
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If you haven't already, you may want to grab a copy of The Folded World sooner rather than later -- she's severing her ties with Night Shade Books, so I'm not sure how available it'll be in the future. She's still planning to do the third volume, but it'll probably be some kind of Kickstarter/self-published thing when the time comes.
http://yuki-onna.livejournal.com/#pos...